Improvement in water-meters



, idw/mw Ma/M fifi/62222025 @www N. PETERS. PNOTO-UTHOGHAPHU; WASHINGTON, n C.

N.PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. GRAY AND WILLIAM B. BRITTINGHAM, OF LA FAYE'ITE, IND.

INI PROVEM ENT IN WATER-M ETERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,838, dated February 14, 1871.

To all whom t mm/ concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT C. GRAY and WILLIAM B. BRITTINGHAM, of La Fayette, in the county of rIippecanoe, and in the State of Indiana, have invented some new and useful Improvements in WaterMeters; and we do hereby declare the following to bc a full. clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specication,in which- Figure l is a plan view of the meter, showing the valve-chest and valve uncovered. Fig. 2 is also a plan view thereof, bot-h the valvechest cover and the valves being removed to show the ports and channels in the chest. Fi g. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the cover of the valvechest. Figs. 5 5 and 6 6au are views of the double valve. Figs. 7 and S 8" represent views of the valveseats.

The same letters of reference where employed in the several gures denote identical parts.

The nature of our invention, which relates to an improvement in water-meters, also applicable to steam-engines, consists in the construction ot' an oscillating double slide-valve, which, on being oscillated by the piston at the end oi" each stroke, is slid in its seats to reverse the tlow of the iluid passing through the meter by the direct action of such fluid, as will be more specifically pointed out in the following description and claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the annexed drawing, A represents the cylinder; B, the double-headed piston; and (l C, the duplex valve-chest, which is arranged transversely across the cylinder, openinginto the same between the valve-chambers and be tween the heads ofthe piston.

The chamber C ot the valve-chest communicates with one end of the cylinder by the passage D, while the one, C', is connected with the other end by the passage D.

The water or other tluid enters the cylinder between the heads of the piston at A1 or A2, and, flowing to the chest alternately to one end and the other of the cylinder, drives the piston to the opposite end, discharging the water before it through the`passage at that end and hollow valve into the exhaust-opening at- A3.

The valves E and El are rigidly connected by the hollow stem E4, and are made ot' cylindrical form and hollow, with closed ends, and nicely fitted in their cylindrical seats F and F. The seat F is provided with two long segmental apertures, j and g, which register respectively with the passage D and exhaustopening A3, while the seat F has only one such aperture, f', which covers the passage D', and a smaller one, g1. In the upper sides ot' these seats two ports are cut. (Marked respect ively e and g2 and e and g3.) The port e of the seat F and the port e of the seat F communicate with the water-space in the chest by channels c and cl cut in the cover, and the ports g2 and g in the one and g3 a-nd g1 in the other are connected by channels c2 and c3 in such cover, continued in the wall of the chest around the seats.

The valves are constructed with deep channels or recesses E2 and E3 in their upper sides, opening into the valve-chambers C and C. These channels are in line with each other, and, as the valves are oscillatcd, register alternately with the ports e and g3 and e and g2, admitting the water to the chamber C or C', as the case may be, to slide the valves by its pressure upon their ends.

As shown in Fig. 3, the water is flowing into the chamber C', sliding the valves toward the left, while the water in the chamber C es capes through the recess E2, port g2, and channel c2 into the exhaust-opening. In the same manner, when the water ilows from the cylinder into the chamber C, driving the valves in the opposite direction, the water in the chamber C escapes through the recess E", port g3, channel c3, and port g4 into the hollow valve E1 through its aperture E5.

Large apertures E* and E5 are cut in the under side of the valves, which are brought alternately opposite the ports j' and f7, to connect the interior of the valves with one of the passages D or D', the other passage being at the same time in direct communication with the waterspace of the chest.

The aperture E4 opens into the exhaustport g at all times, and the aperture E5 may always cover the port gl, but must do so the moment the Water begins to be driven out Of the chamber C' by the sliding Of the valves.

The valves are Oscillated at the end Of each movement of the piston by One of its heads striking against an arm, Gr, fastened On the valvefstein, Which arm is provided with suitable stops h, which come in contact with projections h on the chest to prevent the valves from being turned too far.

The operation of the meter is as follows: As shown in Fig. l, the water is flowing through the passage D into that end of the cylinder into which said passage Opens, driving the piston to the other end, from which the Water is discharged through the passage D', flowing through the port f and aperture E5 into the cavity in the valveEpa-ssing thence through the hollow stem into the valve E and Out through the aperture E4 therein and exhaust- Opening g in the seat into the exhaust-pipe A3.

The piston has nearly reached the end of its v stroke in this direction, and its head nearest the valve-chest is oscillatin g the valves, which, at the end of the stroke, brings the recesses E2 and E3 Of said valves in line with the ports e and g3 in their respective seats. The Water The Water before the piston is now discharged through the passage D and port f into tho valve E through its aperture E4, and escapes directly from said valve into the exhaust-pipe. When used as a Water-meter a suitable registering apparatus must be attached, which may be driven from the piston or the valve, as may be most convenient.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The recessed valves E E2 and El E3, with reference to the ports e g2 and e and g3 in their respective seats and channels c and c1 in the chest, substantially as set forth.

2. In coinbination'with the foregoing elements, the ports g and g1 in the seats and channels c2 and 03 in the chest, substantially as set forth.

8. The hollow valves E and E1,rigidly connected by the hollow stem E2, and provided With apertures )4 and E5, respectively, with reference to the passages and ports D f and Dl f', and eXhaust-openin gs A3 g, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBT. C. GRAY. W. B. BRITTINGHAM.

Witnesses:

JAMEs COLEMAN, JAMEs W. COOPER. 

